Lens-grinding machine.



B. F. GLARK. LENS GRINDIN G MACHINE. APPLIOATION rum) MAM). 1910.

1,048,658, Patented Dec.31,1912.

3 BHEETSBHEET 1.

B. P. CLARK. LENS GRINDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAR.8. 1910.

1,048,658. Patented Dec. 31, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2. 66'

6 INE'LN'IOR. m" MJM W I [7mm /w%mq.

B. F. CLARK. LENS GRINDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED mum. 1010.

1,048,658. Patented Dec. 31, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

NY 79 7 g c 8 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENNETT F. CLARK, OF GENEVA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE STANDARD OPTICAL COMPANY, OF GENEVA, NEW YORK. A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

LENS-GRINDING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 31, 1912.-

Application filed March 8, i910. Serial No. 545,073.

I and useful Improvements in Lens-Grinding Machines, of which the following, taken in connectidnv with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improve ments in lens grinding machines of the class set forth in my Patent No. 927,949, dated .July 13, 1909, for grinding the edges of lenses to a predetermined size in conformity with any specific. pattern.

In this class of machines, thepower for rotating the grindstone is usually applied to the shaft thereof and suitable mechanism is provided for automatically moving the grin'dstoneaxially and additional mechanism for rotating the lens against the face of the grindstone, the form and size of the lens being determined by a pattern which is coaxial and rotates with the lens against an adjustable rest.

5 In operation the lenses are preferably held against the periphery of the grindstone by a spring and owing to the fact that the axes of the majority of lenses are of difl'erent lengths it is evident that the rotation of such lenses against the grindstone from the short axis to t e long arms and vice versa. tends to grind the ends of the longer axis faster than the portions at the ends of the shorter axis and one of .the objects of my present invention is to provide means whereb this rinding etfect' may be automatical y ina e more uniform throughout .the periphery of the lens and still enable the pressure of the lenses against the stone 4 'to'bevaried at will.

Another object is. to simplify the means t'or adjusting the pattern rest for different sizes or lenses and at the same time to enablesuch' means to be easily calibrated to compensate for'wear or to correct impersuch' rest fect adjustment so as to brin into a position to exactly con orm to the reading ogf'the indexing device.

.A further'object isito provide means operable at will to diflere'nt positions for-locking and releasing the lens carriage in and from its inoperative os itionand controlling the .movement of sai carriage. to and from the grindstone and also for making and 155 breaking connection betweenthe rotarylensholder and its mechanical driving means and permitting the lens carriage to be shifted to bring any portion of the edge of the lens or lenses into contact with the stone independently of such mechanical driving means. A still further object is to provide means readily accessible from the front of the machine for adjusting the truing device for the grindstone.

Other ob'ects and uses will be brought out in the ollowing description.

- In the drawings: Figures 1 and 2am re-' spectively a top plan and a side elevation of a lens grinding machine embodying the various features of my invention. Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged sectional views taken respectively on lines 33, Fig. 1 and 47- 1: Fig. 2 showing particularly the means for transmitting motion. from. the rindstone shaft to the lens supporting spindles, the means for automatically regulating the pressure of the lens against the grindstone being shown in elevation. Fig. '5 is anem larged elevation ,of, the detached automatic pressure regulating and adjusting mechanism for the lens carriage; Fig. 6 is'an enlarged elevation partly in section of the adjusting mechanism for the grindstone truing device, a portion of the grindstone being shown in connection therewith. Fig. 7 .is a sectional view taken on line 7- -7, Fig 5.-

Fig. 8 is an enlarged elevation partly 1n section of the adjustable pattern rest and its adjusting means. Fig. 9 isan inner rin for locking the two index sections toget er.

The entlre mechanisms embraced in my present 'applicationar mounted in or upon a suitable base or housing -1 having a central'len hwise cvlindrical trough -'-9r, fixed uprig t bearings3- and front and rear guideways z 4= .andf,5-- arranged in pairs, as'best' seen in Fig. 1. The frame '-1-. may be mountedupon any suitable supporting base, not necessary to herein illustrate or describe, with its u per por: tion disposed in a substantially orizont-al positionand its lower portion reduced in width and constituting a segmental housing -6- in, which the trough .-2- is formed, to receive and confine the drip and. grindings from thestone and lenses. The front p'ortion of the housing ,6- is provided with an auxiliary-reservoir 7 containing a water retaining absorbent such as a sponge 8- which distributes its moisture evenly over the periphery of the grindstone and also keeps the grinding surface clean from grindings and other foreign substances. One side at least of the reservein '7 is provided with an opening through which the absorbent may be readily inserted or removed.

The bearings -3 are mounted upon and project upwardly from the central portion of the frame at opposite sides of the trough 2- for receiving and supporting arevoluble driving shaft 9-, to which is centrally secured a circular disk 10- carrying upon its periphery a grindstone 11 the latter being secured to the periphery of the disk 10 by an inter osed layer 12of cementitious nature, said shaft being provided at one end with a pulley 13 just outside of the frame 1- and adapted tobe connected by a belt to any available source of power (not shown.) The opposite end of the shaft is provided with a worm 14 meshing with a worm gear J; on a counter shaft or spindle .16 which is disposed at substantially rightangles to and directly under the shaft 9 secured tosaid shaft. This and is j ournaled in a suitable bracket 17 upon the adjacent portion of 'the bearing A shaft or stud 18 is rigidly secured to a rearward extension 19- of the bracket -17 parallel with the shaft --9 and upon this stud is loosely journaled a gear 20 and collar -21the latter being secured to the gear -20 and provided with a spiral groove -22 which receives a stud 23- on the upper end of a rock arm 24-. This rock arm 24- is pivotally connected by a spindle 25 to the bracket 17 so as to rock laterally upon an axis at right angles to the axis of 'the shaft 9. Secured to the outer end 45 of the shaft 9 and to the worm 14 is an additional collar 26 having an annular groove 27 for receiving a stud 28 also on the upper end of the rock farm '24 and directly opposite the stud 23- so that as the arm -24 is. rocked laterally by the spirally grooved collar 21-- similar endwise movement will be imparted to the grindstone shaft -9- thereby moving the latter across the faces 55-of. the lenses or parallel with the lens supporting spindles hereinafter described.

A worm '20'' is secured to the spindle -16 and meshes with the gear -20 on the stud -18,' so as to transmit rotary motion from said spindle -16 to thQ a spirally grooved collar 21 for moving the shaft 9 axially through the medium of the rock arm '24,.as ust described. The shaft or spindle .-16-- is connected at (55 one end by universal joint 29' to a shaft section .30- which is slidably interlocked and telescopes with a sleeve section -31, the latter being connected by universal joint 32 to a clutch section 33 This clutch section is slidably mounted upon an independently rotatable shaft or spindle 3 l into and out of engagement with another clutch section 35 which is rigidly shaft or spindle 34-7is journaled in a suitable bearing 36-- on the bed -56 and is provided with a gear 37 secured thereto. This gear 37- meshes with a gear 38 which is rigidly secured to a shaft 39 extending transversely of the machine directly in front of the grindstone 11 and journaled in suitable bearings 40, the gear 38-also meshing with a similar 4 but larger gear 4lwhich is secured to one end of one of the lens clamping spindles 42. 1

Secured to the opposite end of the shaft 39 is a gear 43 of substantially the same diameter as the gear 38- and meshing with a gears-4% which is rigidly secured to one end of a rotary sleeve 45 and isof substantially the same diameter as the gear 41- so as to rotate the sleeve 45 atthe same rate of speed as the spindle '42. The spindle 42- and sleeve 45- are provided with lens clamping heads 46- and 47 respectively, the clamping head 47- being-detachably interlocked with the adjacent end of a spindle -48- so as to rotate therewith. 100 This spindle l8 extends centrally through the sleeve 45 and is slidably interlocked therewith, so as to move endwise and at the same time to rotate with the sleeve. The outer end of this sleeve is threaded internally and is engaged by a hollow screw 49 which surrounds and is rotatable upon the spindle -48 and is locked thereto against endwise movement in one direction by a cap screw 50.

A coil spring 51 encircles the intermediate portion of the spindle 48 between the inner end of the screw, -49 and a shoulder 52'- on said spindle, thus holding the cap screw 50 in engagement 115 withthe outer end of the sleeve 49 and affording a yielding connection between the clamping head 47--' and said screw to hold the lenses as A-,'between the clamping heads under yielding pressure. 7 1

The spindle 42- and sleeve -45 are journaled respectively in suitable bearings -,53 and 54. on a rocking frame or carriage 55 which in turn is journaled upon the intermediate portion of the shaft 125 39- between the pifiions 38 and 43, so that the swinging axis of the lens supporting frame or. carriage 55 is coincident with the pinions for the lens c by permitting the interposed lenses to be moved toward and from the face of the grindstone.

The shaft -39- which supports the rocking frame -55' is mounted u on a sliding "bed -56 which may be ad usted along the ways 4- upon the supporting frame 1- to conform to the varying diameters of the grindstone as the latter is worn away and may be held in its adjusted position by any suitable retaining means.

The rocking frame 55 is disposed so as to bring the axis of the lens clamping heads in nearly the same horizontab plane as the axis of the grindstone and when released is drawn toward the grinding surface by a spring 58 having one end providedwith links either one of which is adapted to be engaged with an anchorage -59 on the bearing -53 while the other end is connected to an upright rock arm 60 which is journaled on the stud The rear end of the spring -58 is adapted to be adjusted vertically into and out of engagement with any one of a series of notch-es -61- on the rock arm -450- so as to vary the tension of the spring and thereby produce the desired pressure of the lenses against the grindstone.

As a further means for varying the tension of the spring a toothed. segment -62- is also journaled upon the stud 18 in close proximity to the inner end of the hub of the rock arm -60- and is provided with a concentric slot 63' and a pendent extension or arm 64.

A hand operated pawl -65 is provided with an offset 66 projecting through the slot 63 and pivoted at 67*- to the rock arm 60 at one side of the axis of the latter, said pawl being provided with a tooth 68- movable into and out of engagement with the teeth of the segment 62- and is normally held in its locking position by spring 69, as best seen in Fig. 7

It is now clear that by connecting the pawl '65- to the rock arm '6()- in the manner described, the movement of said pawl along the rack 62 will cause a similar movement of the rock arm 60' to vary the tension of the spring -58- as may be desired, the engagement of said pawl with the rack serving to loclr the toothed segment-and rock arm together for simultaneous action for apurpose presently described.

Journaled in the extension 64- of the segment -62 is a swivel head -70- to which is connected one end of a forwardly extending eccentric rod -71- having its front end connected to an eccentric, 73- on the shaft 39'so that as this shaft is rotated rocking motion will be imparted such points.

to the toothed segment and rock arm -60. The clutch 33 is thrown into and out of locking connection with the shaft or spindle 34- by means of a hand lever 74 which is fulcrumed at 75 to the sliding bed -56 and has its lower end engaged in an annular groove 76- on the clutch -33 p The lever 74 extends upwardly at the rear of and some distance above the frame -55- with which it is adapted to engage to control the movement of such frame toward and fro-m the grindstone and is provided with a shoulder -72- movable into and out of engagement with a similar shoulder -77 on the frame -55 to hold said frame and the lenses carried thereby away from the grindstone against the action of the spring -58.

The lever 74- may be rocked rearwardly a sufficient distance to release the frame 55- without throwing the clutch 33 into action thereby leaving the rotary lens holder free from its mechanical driving means and permitting any portion of the edge of the lens or lenses to be brought into contact with the stone and held in one position or turned back and forth by hand to grind off excessive projections when desired independently of such driving mechanism or by moving such lever rearwardly .a greater distance the clutch may be thrown into action torotate the lens holder mechanically.

The lenses to be ground are usually elliptical or elongated in one direction and therefore when bearing against the grindstone during the grinding operation cause a rocking movement of the frame 55- and unless some provision is made for keeping the spring 58- under practically uniform tension, it is evident that as the points of contact between the lenses and grindstone change from the short to the long axes, the tension of the spring would be increased producing excessive grinding at i In order to obviate this objectionable result, the gears for transmitting motion from the shaft 39 to the lens clamping heads or spindles are proportioned so as to cause the lenses to rotate at substantially half the speed of said shaft, thereby causing the eccentric 73 to make-two revolutions during each revolution of the lens holders, said eccentric being adjusted so that when the point of contact at the end of each longer radius of the lens is presented to the grindstone, the longer radius of the eccentric will extend in the same direction and will thereby cause the upper end of the rock arm -60- to move forwardly to maintain practically uniform tension of the spring 58--. In other words as the rocking support for the .lens helder is thrown forwardly by contact of the longer axis of the lens with the grindstone, the rock arm 60- will also move forwardly practically the same distance thus causing a bodily movement of the spring back and forth as the contact point of the lens changes from one axis to another, the throw of the eccentric being proportioned to approximately correspond to the eccentricity of the lens a A lens pattern 80 is mounted upon a pair of pins 42f on the inner end of the spindle A2 having a central axially projecting stud for receiving and supporting the clamping head 4t6,the latter being provided with radial slots 46 for receiving the inner ends of the pins 42 and thereby locking the head to the spindle for rotary movement therewith. The pefiphery of the lens pattern 80- rides against a pattern rest 81 which is mounted upon an upright arm -82 of a horizontal adjustable spindle 83, as best seen in Fig; 8. This spindle is slidably mounted in a suitable bearing 84- on the sliding bed 5 6 having a fixed index 85 on top of the front end thereof '87 parallel with its axis.

within which is secured a fixed bushing The spindle 83- extends some distance through and beyond the front end of the bearing-84- and is threaded for receiving a threaded nut 87 which is held in place against endwise displacement by cap screw 88.

,The inner end of the nut 87- is reduced in diameter and is surrounded by a split ring 89- and an index ring 78 having graduations upon its periphery numbered to correspond to standard sizes of lenses. The graduated ring 78 is adjustable circumferentially around and upon the split ring 89 which is provided at its meeting edges with a conical bearing or socket for receiving a conical end of an expanding screw 79, the latter being screwed into a threaded aperture in the nut As the expanding screw -79 is loosened the split ring 89 contracts under its own tension sufliciently to release the graduated ring 78 which may then be adjusted relatively to the nut to make the reading correspond to the position of the pat-tern rest -81 for a predetermined size of lens after which the screw 79 may be tightened to expand the split ring +89- frictionally against the inner face of the grad uated ring 78 thereby locking said. rings to the nut 87. The object of this adjustment of the graduated ring 78 relative to the nut is to compensate for wear of the grindstone or of the pattern or pattern rest or to rectify any imperfect adjustment of such rest, so that when the latter is set' for a predetermined size of lens and the reading of the graduated ring corof the grindstone as the rod responds tosuch adjustment, the turning of as. to exert a rearward pressure upon the lens rest tending to frictionally hold the nut against accidental turning by end thrust pressure against the 'ring 78 which in turn similarly engages the adjacent end face of the bushing 86.

The stone truing mechanism comprises a block or body 90 of suitable abrasive material clamped in place upon a rocking support 91' at the rear'of the grindstone, said support being pivoted at 92 upon a forwardly and rearwardly adjustable frame 93 which is mounted upon the ways 5 and held in its adjusted position by clamping bolts 94. This support -91- is provided with an abutment 95 extending upwardly above the pivot 92 while theabrasive block 90 is located below said pivot and is adapted to be forced into engagement with the periphery of the grindstone with more or less pressure by means of an adjusting rod 96 having its rear end connected by universal joint -96 to a threaded extension 97' which is engaged in a threaded aperture 97 in the upper portion of the frame 93- and adapted to engage the abutment 95 for varying the pressure of the abrasive block 90 against the periphery -96 is turned. This adjusting rod 96- extends forwardly through an opening -98 on the upright portion of the frame 1 which supports the right hand bearing 3- and is preferably held in place by a perforated plate 98'.

1 The front end of the rod is provided with a. handle -99 within convenient reaching distance from the front of the machine so as 'to permit a convenient adjustment of the abrasive block when desired, the universal joint 96 serving to prevent binding of the threaded extension 97 in the threaded aperture -9'7.

It will be observed upon reference to the drawings that all. of the rotary parts such as shafts, spindles and sleeves'are journaled in removable bushings in their respective bearings, so that they may be removed when worn and replaced with new ones, thereby preserving the original parts -in which such bushings are mounted and also reducing the cost of manufacture and maintenance of the machine.

In Fig. 3 the opposite ends of the carriage are shown as provided with comparatively short bushings in which the shaft 39- is journaled, said bushings being spaced some distance apart to form an intervening oil chamber.

What I claim is:

1. In an edge grinding machine for lenses, a driving shaft, a rotary grinder on the shaft, a worm secured to the shaft, a counter-shaft running transversely of the driving shaft and provided with a worm gear meshing with said worm, atworm on the counter-shaft, a stud running parallel with the driving shaft, a worm gear loose on the stud and meshing with the worm on the counter-shaft, a spirally grooved collar secured to the worm gear on the stud, a rocking member actuated by the grooved collar, connections between the rocking member and driving shaft for moving the latter axially, telescoping shaft sect-ions splined one upon the other, one of said shaft sections being connectedby a universal joint to the counter-shaft, a rotary spindle having a clutch section rigid thereon, a cooperative clutch section slidable on the spindle into and out of engagement with the first named clutch section and connected by a universah joint to the other telescoping shaft section, a rotary transverse shaft across the front face of the grinder and provided with a hand piece whereby it may be rotated by hand, a pair of gears secured to said transverse shaft, a gear rigid on the spindle meshing with one of said gears, a rocking frame journaled on the transverse shaft, rotary lens clamping means mounted on the frame and provided with gears meshing with the gears on the transverse shaft, means including a spring for rocking the frame with the lenses thereon toward the grinder, and hand operated means for shiftmg the sliding clutch and for rocking the frame away from the grinder when the clutch is thrown out of action.

2. In an edge grinding machine for lenses, ;a driving shaft, a rotary grinder .on the shaft, a transverse shaft running across the front face of the grinder parallel with the driving shaft, means including a clutch for transmitting rotary motion from the driving shaft to the transverse shaft, a rocking frame journaled on the transverse shaft, rotary lens holders mounted on the frame,

,co-axial rocking members adjustable rotarily relatively to each other, movable means for locking said members to each other to .move together, a spring having one end connected to one of said members and its other end connected to the rocking frame to draw said frame toward the grinder, an eccentric on the transverse shaft, a rod connecting said eccentric to the other of said co-axial rocking members, and a clutch shifting lever operable at will to throw the clutch into and out of action, said lever being posi-- tioned to engage and rock the frame away i from the grinder against the action of the spring when the clutch is thrown out of ,action.

3. In an edge grinding machine'for elliptical lenses, a driving shaft, a rotary grinder mounted on the shaft, a gear supporting stud, means actuated by the driving shaft and including a gear on the stud forreciprocating the driving shaft and grinder axially, separately movable rocking members journaled on the stud, means for locking the said rocking members'to each other to rock in unison, a transverse shaft extending across the front face of the grinder, a rocking frame journaled on the transverse .shaft, rotary lens clamping devices mounted on the frame, means for transmitting rotary motion from the driving shaft to said transverse shaft, additional means for transmitting rotary motion from the transverse shaft tothe lens clamping device, a spring having one end connected to the rocking frame and its other end connected to one of the rocking members, an eccentric on the transverse, shaft, and connections between said eccentric and the other rocking member for locking both members when they are locked to each other.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 28th day of February, 1910.

BENNETT F. -CLARK.

Witnesses: a

,OLARENon E. Q IMBY, ALBION W. NEWELL. 

